Single Moms, absent Dads: neglecting fathers and burdening mothers in social work practice with separated families

The low participation of nonresident fathers in family- and child-oriented social work interventions is well documented, as are the adverse effects of their absence on the outcomes of these interventions and the welfare of their families. However, research on the reasons for this low participation tends to focus on the views and perceptions of social workers and fathers. We propose a systemic approach focusing on families rather than fathers, and institutional aspects of the welfare system, such as workplace culture and administrative barriers, rather than social workers' views. Using an institutional ethnography in six Israeli Departments of Social Services, we examined work procedures and routines with regard to separated families in Israel's social welfare and child protection system. Our findings show that social workers often fail to include nonresident fathers in their interventions with separated families. Using the theoretical framework of the mother-based intervention, we show how the organisation of services promotes a focus on mothers. These findings, we claim, have dire consequences for both fathers and mothers. Fathers are denied the opportunity to take an equal part in the lives of their children, while mothers are expected to bear the entire burden of the intervention's requirements.

Automated summary

The low participation of nonresident fathers in family and child-oriented social work interventions has been well-documented, and this absence has negative effects on the outcomes and welfare of their families. Previous research has focused on the views of social workers and fathers, but we propose a systemic approach that examines the role of families and institutional aspects of the welfare system. Through our study, we found that social workers often neglect nonresident fathers in their interventions with separated families, leading to unequal burdens on both fathers and mothers.